Precious
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: "...Everything about them, every lie, every truth, every tightly concealed secret was finally out in the open, given to no one else but the other in hopes of keeping their hearts intact." SoushixRirichiyo


**This was something I just wrote on a whim; I wanted to write something nice while the story was still cute and innocent, because I've read spoilers and I know things only go on a downhill landslide from ch 15 onward :'(**

**I just wanted to expand on their feelings in this scene. Enjoy :'3**

**Spoilers for episode 12 and chapter 13!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inu X Boku SS / Youko X Boku SS.**

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><p>Precious<p>

A cool, Springtime breeze drifted smoothly through the windows of Ririchiyo's bedroom, causing the silky, white curtains to billow softly into the air.

Two plates of untouched chocolate cake, complete with strawberries on top, alongside two cups of tea remained yet untouched on a wooden table. Surrounding said table was a long, pale green sofa, bent into an L shape with its thick cushions.

Both the mistress of the room and her ever-faithful Secret Service agent lie on one section of the sofa, she on her left side, he on his right as they faced one another.

There was a serenity in the air, as light, but as filling as the air itself, that blessed their lungs with every breath.

They had been silent for several moments, simply gazing at one another, as thought trying to bore the image of the other person into their minds, and their hearts, to convince themselves that all of this was real.

Ririchiyo's hair fanned out behind her, spilling over the edge of the sofa, all the way up so that it was even above her head as well, the ends of it curling into tiny swirls. For a while, there was only the quiet exchange of breath between them, until Ririchiyo felt she could no longer hold his intense gaze without tearing up. But just as she was about to close her eyes, he spoke, his voice like some faraway echo that was almost unreal to her ears.

"Ririchiyo-sama." It was impossible to count how many times she had heard him say her name within the past weeks since she had met him, but now, for some reason, it sounded even more realistic than ever before, though it also somehow seemed distant. "I have only one dream." He continued.

Ririchiyo forced her mind into focus, knowing that whatever it was he had to say right now was something she should listen to with a serious focus that she would never listen to anything else with ever again.

He squeezed her hands at that instant, as if to reiterate how much whatever he was about to say to her meant to him. She calmed herself internally so that she could give her full attention to him now.

"A dream?" She repeated, the sound of her own voice sounding unreal. Then, she built up her determination, knowing this could be the only thing she could be able to do for another person, to give her own existence purpose. "What is it?" In asking, she felt she was sentencing herself to a task that could be, impossible, but she intended to make it happen no matter the cost.

There was a wakefulness in her eyes, mixed with curiousness, and the slightest tint of fear. He hesitated a second longer than she felt was necessary, and the realness of the situation became heavier with every heartbeat.

"I don't care if it's a lie..." he continued. He closed his eyes, for the scene was too perfect for him; his beloved mistress lying beside him as someone much more than _only_ his mistress, and the confession of the only dream of his life. He felt both of them together were too good to be true, and so, just for a second, he closed his eyes and hid her from his vision as he confessed his dream, so that he would not be overwhelmed by both of his wishes present simultaneously. "It can be a superficial lie, existing only right here, right now."

Hearing those words from his lips caused the tiniest pang to shoot through her chest, as if a miniature thorn had pierced her heart; she was pained at him ever thinking she would have to be so fickle toward him, but she listened attentively as he went on with his revelation.

"Ririchiyo-sama, I want a child. I want a family..."

That was it.

It was as if the door to a room that had previously been darkened with the blackest of shadows had finally been opened; not just a crack, but entirely. Light flooded in, and everything about them, every lie, every truth, every tightly concealed secret was finally out in the open, given to no one else but the other in hopes of keeping their hearts intact.

She gasped softly when she processed the true meaning behind his words, and to remind her of its realness, he squeezed her hands even tighter. "Someday." He finished; his eyes were still closed, his hands holding hers as if he were reminding himself that she was still there, that both of his dreams had now been revealed and came together; he held onto the physical dream as if the revelation of the intangible one would somehow snatch her away from him in compensation.

Her pink irises were wide open, the wakefulness doubled, the curiousness replaced with comprehension, the fear slightly intensified.

If she had every truly believed she had been affected by arrhythmia before this, it was this second that shattered that illusion for good; it was certain that the pounding of her heart was created by nothing other than him. But whether she was happy, scared, or uncertain, she was not sure, but she believed it was a fierce combination of the three.

It was as if the dream of his entire lifetime, to have a family, and the dream of her entire lifetime, to meet him, get to know him, and stay by his side forever, were both combined within seconds.

The shock passed over her complexion quickly, although inside, her heart was still pounding, her mind still racing and fighting for clarity. _I thought about you, in your childhood that I'd never seen._ She thought, wishing she could speak the words, but unable to bring her heart to persuade her voice to say them. _I imagined it._ She went on, as if he could hear her, not entirely unsure that he could not. _I see... You were lonely, and you were precious. And even now, you're still precious, but I won't let you be lonely anymore. I promise._ She vowed with all of her heart.

She could guess what other people might think of him; how he was a dirty, tainted person who worked his way to the top through deceit, and by using his body as a tool in order to manipulate others and get what he wanted; how he could kiss another woman so easily without concrete feelings for her.

But what no one else would understand were the real reasons behind his actions.

Every day had been a prison to him, torture, a horrible waste of existence that did not deserve to deplete the oxygen supply of the more important. But he was plagued by despair every night and day of the things he had done in order to gain his freedom.

He had only ever wanted what he never had.

A family.

A real, true, and precious family.

And he wanted her to be a part of it.

"I see." She finally brought herself to say something, though her voice was weak, timid, almost as if she were afraid she could never live up to his expectations of helping him turn that once-so-distant dream into a reachable reality.

But as she found her resolve, she squeezed his hand back, pulling it close to her chest. "But, I can't give you an appropriate answer just yet; I don't want to answer on the spur of the moment... because it's an important matter..." her voice was trembling, laden with all the emotions she had felt toward him since she had received that first letter up until now.

"Ririchiyo-sama..." he spoke the familiar name of the person of which his very existence was built around and meant for. He knew everything about her, just as she now knew about him. He knew her troubles with communication- the reason why she had made almost no acquaintances up until her arrival at the mansion. He knew about her terrible past, how her parents had neglected and mistreated her, favoring her sister because of her normality and need for pity. He knew the feelings of helplessness, the uselessness she felt every night in her bedroom as she cried herself to sleep, only to be haunted in her realm of slumber by frightening plagues of nightmares that she did not deserve.

He knew the emotions she kept hidden, locked tightly within her heart; the emotions he had only just begun to be allowed to touch upon. Those very delicate, fragile feelings that could shatter and break her if touched with even an ounce too much of pressure, but would never be revealed if the pressure was an ounce too light. He knew just the right amount of affection that she needed in order for her to open up, and he took silent pride in the knowledge that he had been the first person ever to earn his way into her heart.

"All right." He whispered, a blissful smile on his face as he brushed closer to her. She closed her eyes in embarrassment as a blush crept across her face, making her all the more irresistibly adorable. "I prefer it this way." Once more, their fingers entwined, palms connecting with the faintest of touches. "Let's take plenty of time, and think it over together." As he said these words, he heard the faintest of sighs escape her lips, and he knew that this was the right decision; the very last thing he wanted was for her to feel uncomfortable, pressured, or worse, frightened at his dream.

Now, he knew she did not feel rushed to give him an answer, but also took solace that she would not brush off his request and never give him an answer at all; that was not the kind of person she was.

"Ririchiyo-sama." He whispered again. Her eyelids slowly fluttered open, like a butterfly's wings as she looked up to meet his mismatched gaze.

"What is it, Miketsukami-kun?" Her voice was small, but it was full of trust, full of love.

"Is..." he trailed off with somewhat of a sad chuckle, as though he were ashamed of himself for what he was about to say. He attempted once more, trying to keep his vision on her steady irises. "Is... is this real?" He asked at last.

"What..." she sounded as though she had been struck, but she was not pained by his words because he did not seem to think her being there was real. No; she was pained because of the single tear that escaped his left eye, as though the amber had leaked out onto his skin. "M...Miketsukami-kun..." she too now felt on the verge of tears.

"Please tell me..." he grasped her hand even tighter, as though they were now on opposite sides of splitting land masses as fate tried to tear them apart; but she held firmly onto him, silently telling him that she would never allow them to be separated again.

"Yes." She stammered, her tears threatening to choke her as she tried to fight them back. "Yes... it is real." She needed to prove to him right now the truth of her words, lest she lose this chance forever; she needed to demonstrate the results of whatever serendipity, whatever inevitability that had ultimately brought them together so that they may lie where they rested now; in one another's presences. "It is real." She whispered again. "I promise."

Then, she shifted, moving closer to him and pulling his hands to her stomach before letting them go. She wrapped her slender arms around his shoulders, her fingers gently brushing through his soft, white hair as she gently pulled him to her. Gingerly, she pulled his head to her chest, squeezing her eyes shut to push out the tears, her lips curled into the tiniest of smiles. "It is real. See?" She breathed.

Soushi's eyes widened as she pulled him close to her, but at last, he smiled too, and let his eyes fall shut as he accepted her proof of this reality. He nestled closer to her and pressed his ear against her chest, listening to the rapid beat of her heart; it was all she could do, the only proof she could provide, but it was far more than enough for him.

He listened to each little thump against her ribcage, realizing that her heart had beat just like this countless times in her life thus far, and lamenting that he had only been beside her for a small fraction of them; therefore, he vowed to make up for that lack within the remaining future.

Ririchiyo felt more tears streaming down her face, but her smile was ever-present and she buried her face in his soft hair, kissing his head. Soushi wrapped his arms around her petite waist and back as he kissed her collarbone.

For a long while, they remained that way, crying and laughing lightly with one another, but never too loudly. He listened to her heartbeat, that beautiful, lively sound that assured him of her existence within his arms, of her promise of this reality.

Over time, her pulse went from the nervous, almost hyper pace it began at, to a more controlled, calm beat. Her breathing was still unsteady, but he knew it was because she was still fighting to stop her tears.

When he finally sensed she was about to lose consciousness, he carefully moved upward until he was face-level with her. "Rirchiyo-sama..." he whispered again. "Thank you... Thank you so much... I love you." He smiled, letting his tears fall.

"Mm." She blinked open her watery eyes, only to refresh the dried trails of tears with a new wave. "I... I..." she gasped in her hiccuped breaths. "I... love you, too, Miketsukami-kun. I really... really love you." She sniffed.

Soushi moved in and kissed her lips, and she did her very best to kiss him back.

It was a soft, simple kiss, but it said so, so much.

At last, they broke apart and Ririchiyo succumbed to the sobs she had so furiously been fighting off until now, and Soushi too found more tears than he had anticipated flowing down his cheeks. Her soft sobs soon turned into slightly louder cries and hiccups, almost as if she were holding back as to not disturb him.

He could hold back no longer and pulled her to him in a tight embrace, his arms easily locking around her small, fragile back, her long hair pooling out behind her.

As she found the comfort within his arms, she finally allowed herself to cry her heart out, and he simply continued to smile and held her closer. She did not even know why she was crying anymore; she just knew they were he good tears, and that she would not mind spending the rest of her life as she was at this very moment.

Every time she managed to get in a breath, she would let it out with, "I love you", which resulted in him hugging her tighter each time.

At last, her sobs began to die down, and her shoulders relaxed as her thin body became still, her pulse dropping significantly. Soushi too, allowed himself to drift off into slumber, holding his mistress's small form tightly against him.

_Ririchiyo-sama... thank you. I can tell someone my dream at last; I have something irreplaceable. Finally. I've finally found it..._

The cool breeze continued to drift through the windows, but the couple that rested within one another's embraces felt only the deepest, calmest warmth.

Each had found someone else just like them, whom they could share their troubles, sorrows, secrets, and joys with; someone whom they could relate to better than any other person.

They had created emotions that were only complete with the other's complimentary feelings.

They had formed a relationship like none ever before; a wonderful bond that brought together both yokai, human, and everything in between.

They had found their other halves.

And altogether, they had found something very precious.

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><p><strong>AN: Hope you enjoyed! SoushixRirichiyo4ever!**

**Please review!**


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